Saving Grace
by Dallirious
Summary: It’s the end of the worlds, and families are being torn apart. But in the midst of it all, one comes together. Sequel to The Carnival Girl AU
1. The Jump

**Title:** Saving Grace

**Author:** Dallas

**Disclaimer:** Battlestar Galactica, and its characters, don't belong to me. Which kind of sucks, but I'm dealing with it.

**Pairing:** Roslin/Adama later on…

**Rating: **Teen

**Summary:** It's the end of the worlds, and families are being torn apart. But in the midst of it all, one comes together. AU

**A/N:** From the mini-series onwards. Sophie, Rebekah, Ricochet, Hunter, and Hawk are all mine. This is technically a continuation of "The Carnival Girl" but that doesn't really have to be read in order to understand this.

* * *

_This is the Pilot. Passengers please take your seats and stand-by to Jump._

The Botanical Cruiser couldn't make the jump. Hundreds of people were about to be left behind to die, or even be captured and tortured. But the majority of people were being saved, she made sure of that. They saved as many people as they possibly could. The whole thing was ridiculous. The Secretary of Education had no business making these decisions. That's why there were supposed to be forty two people ahead of her in line for the Presidency is something were to go wrong. She wasn't trained to handle such important decisions. Sure she could take control of a bad situation, and she had, but she couldn't run the Twelve Colonies in the wake of the apocalypse…

_Colonial One -- for god's sake, you can't just leave us here!_

Her mind lingered on the girl she'd met only a few hours earlier. There were so many children who had lost their families. The image shifted. One moment it was the little girl she'd only just met, the next she saw her own five year old daughter asleep in bed. She'd promised her a party when she got home, to make up for the fact that she couldn't visit Galactica. Without knowing, she'd left her family to die on Caprica. She wanted to scream until every particle of air had left her lungs. Gagging slightly, she managed to swallow the vomit at the back of her throat…

_I've got fifty people onboard!_

Within the space of twenty four hours she'd left too many people to die. As she listened to the voices of the pilots, she began to pray to the Gods. She prayed for the people they were leaving behind, and the children she'd lost. Prayed for their safe journey into the unknown, and those still alive on Caprica…

_Colonial One -- we can't just leave these people behind!_

She prayed for the souls of the pilots. Those who flew the ships and those who defended them…

_At least tell us where you're going! We'll follow at sublight! Please!_

Images of her daughter invaded her mind, and Laura bit her lip hard. Selfishly she'd scanned the lists of civilians on the ships being left behind. She'd found her eldest daughter and grandson on the Gemenon Traveller, but there were two more. The youngest of which could not fend for herself. Bile rose at the back of her throat and she leant forward, holding her head in her hands. It was all too much…

_Can't believe you really want us to do this._

There were so many people, who was she to choose who lived and who died? It was too hard a decision, but it had to be made. They had to be sacrificed for the good of the colony. They wouldn't have made the jump, and the jump needed to be made. She had no choice but to leave them behind…

_This is insane! You're killing us! You're killing us!_

She tried to breathe as pain shot through her body. Everything was crashing down around her and there was no escape. She'd never really enjoyed space travel and suddenly she could be spending the rest of her life on a ship in the middle of nowhere, without her family…

_Show some humanity for God's sake! Tell us where to go!_

It was driving her insane, the pain mixed with the horror of listening to the voices. Panicked voices crying out to be saved and she was unable to help them. It felt like the walls were closing in on her…

_May the Lords of Kobol protect those we leave behind…_

Prayers for those left behind, and the souls of the ones who would leave them…

_Oh my God... our Dradis is picking up inbound targets heading this way!_

Laura breathed in sharply. It was really happening…

_I see them! Are they Colonials?_

She'd left them to die…

_They're Cylon._

A sickening sensation rushed through her body, and Colonial One lurched forward…

_I hope you people rot in hell for this…_


	2. Midnight Snacks & Morning Mishaps

**A/N:** _Here we have a flashback to the morning to sort of help you understand the position I've put Laura in._

* * *

Laura had to admit, when it came to attacking an intruder her violin bow wasn't the best option. There was a broken curtain rod in her room, she should have chosen that. Sneaking into the kitchen she found a five year old trying to make a sandwich. "Oh Gods," She cried out as she turned on the lights. "Sophie, what are you doing?"

"I'm hungry Mommy," She sighed.

"It's two o'clock in the morning Soph," Laura sat down next to her and took the knife off her. She pressed a hand to her daughter's forehead. "How are you feeling Baby?"

"My head's hot," Sophie muttered as she held Laura's hand closer. "Can I sleep in your bed?" She moved to sit on her mother's lap, laying her head on her shoulder.

"Do you still want your sandwich?"

"Yes please," Sophie whispered.

"Okay," Laura spread the smallest amount of peanut butter on a slice of bread and folded it in half. "Hop up, I'll go get your teddy and put him in my bed."

Yawning, Sophie moved off her mother's lap and grabbed her sandwich. She nibbled at the crust before discarding it all together. "Mommy?" She called out, slipping down off her chair.

"Mommy!"

"What's wrong Sophie?"

"I don't want any more sandwich," She muttered as Laura reappeared in the kitchen with a bucket. "I go sleep now."

"Alright, it's okay Baby," Carefully Laura picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. She placed the bucket by the bed and tucked Sophie in. "Are you all snug?" She asked quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I want a snuggle," Sophie pouted.

Laura climbed into bed next to her and pulled her close. She felt Sophie wriggle against her to get comfortable and she smiled. "I love you Soph," She pressed a kiss on the top of her daughters head.

"I love you too Mommy," She sighed and tried to drift off to sleep. But thoughts ran rampant in her mind. "Mommy?"

"What is it Sophie?" Laura managed to ask as she yawned.

"Is Biks coming home today?" She murmured, pulling her teddy bear up between them.

"We'll pick her up when I finish work…"

"And Isaac?"

"He'll be with Biks, Sophie," Laura muttered, trying her best not to fall asleep before her daughter did.

"When's Angie coming home?"

"Three more sleeps," Laura yawned again and pulled Sophie closer to her. "I think, I'll check in the morning. Go to sleep Sophie."

"Mommy?"

"Mmm?" When there was no reply, Laura cracked one eye open to find Sophie fast asleep. She smiled and brushed a few strands of the child's hair out of her face. Pulling the blankets up around them, she slowly drifted off.

--

It took a little while longer to focus as she woke up. There was an alarm ringing near her head, and an unbearable pain taking over her chest. She tried to move but it wasn't as easy as usual. Her hand reached out and knocked the alarm off the bedside table, and she opened her eyes to find Sophie lying on top of her. Carefully she rolled her over and climbed out of bed.

"Mommy?"

"What's up Baby?" She muttered as she rubbed her eyes.

"I'm still tired," Sophie sighed, somehow managing to find her teddy bear with her eyes closed.

"It's not time for you to get up yet," Laura assured her, pulling the blankets up around her shoulders. "You can go back to sleep." She brushed Sophie's hair out of her face and kissed her cheek. After making sure she'd fallen asleep again, Laura quietly moved into the bathroom to start her day. She bit her lip as the pain increased and she held her hand against her breast. Closing the door, she staggered to the toilet and threw up.

It was not going to be a good day.

Her stomach grumbled as she sat on the floor, and the last thing she wanted to think about was food. Still her stomach persisted and she pulled herself to her feet. Turning to find the door had opened and Sophie was standing in the doorway.

"Are you sick too Mommy?" She asked quietly, a worried look in her eyes.

"Just a little bit Baby," She watched as Sophie's bottom lip quivered and she quickly moved forward to hug her daughter. "Hey, it's not your fault. I don't have the virus you have, Honey, I promise."

"I don't want to make you sick," Sophie cried against her shoulder.

"Baby look at me," Laura held Sophie's shoulders and forced the child to look her in the eye. "They're two different things, okay? You didn't make me sick. Nobody made me sick. But I'm going to the Doctor and he's going to make it all better."

Sophie pushed forward and flung her arms around her mother, holding onto her tight. "Are you going to leave me?" She whispered.

Laura's breath caught in her throat and she held Sophie just that little bit tighter. Her fingers ran up and down her daughter's spine. Time was what she needed. Time was what Sophie needed, and she didn't know what she'd do if she took that away from her child. But ultimately it wasn't her decision whether she lived or died. "It's okay Sophie," Laura tried to assure her, but her voice was weak.

"Don't leave me Mommy," Sophie cried. "Don't leave me. Don't leave me like Papa did. Please don't leave me…" Her pleading continued, each word breaking Laura's heart.

"Papa didn't want to leave you Baby," Laura said slowly, trying to hold back her tears. "And I'm not going to leave you, I promise."

Promises…

They held special powers over a child. With a single promise a child could feel safe and loved. All their fears just wash away with those two words. I promise. It provided a safety net for any parent who didn't know the answers, and in truth no parent knows all the answers. So they make promises, most of which they can't keep, because they know their child trusts them. If Mommy and Daddy promise to keep you safe, they will. The innocence of a child, allows them to love and trust freely. They put their faith in others, no questions asked. But sometimes their trust is misplaced, and sooner or later they will be let down.


	3. Coming Together

**A/N:** Thankyou for all the reviews. Sorry it's taken me a while to update. I kind of forgot about for a while there. But I'm back with a few chapters for you. Keep the reviews flowing. It's good karma. Pfft, I don't know. I'm not entirely sure what's good karma and what's bad karma. Have some fic...

* * *

"R-E-B-E-K-A-H Roslin," Billy almost yelled into the phone, becoming frustrated with the pilot he was talking to. "Has nobody told you her mother's the President? We need her, and her son, transferred here as soon as possible."

Sitting at the table, Laura sifted through the paperwork that was continually being dropped in front of her. Names, more and more names, were being piled in front of her - people coming and going, leaving things for her to look at. She'd sorted them as best she could. Lists of passengers, food, beds, space… it was all too much.

"Ma'am?" Billy gently lay a hand on her shoulder. "Your grandson is on the line."

"Secure line?"

"Yes ma'am."

She stood up and took the phone from him. "Isaac?"

"Grandma, you're the President. That's so awesome!"

"It's not that fun," Laura laughed. "How's your Mom?"

"She's alright," There was silence on the line for a moment, and Laura just listened to the sound of her grandson breathing. "Mom wants to know what's going on with us."

"I'm seeing if I can get a shuttle to pick you up, as soon as possible, and bring you to Colonial One," Laura explained slowly. "There's not a lot of space but you two will be okay to share with me right?"

"Sure," Isaac replied after a moment. "How are you?"

"I'm fine thankyou…"

"Mom said you had a Doctor's appointment," Isaac muttered. It wasn't a question, and yet it requested an answer. "She wants to know how it went. Are you sick Grandma?"

"Sweetheart…" Laura sighed and rubbed her eyes, relaxing into a chair. "We don't discuss things like this over the phone. I'll talk to your Mom when she gets here."

"Alright…"

"I have to go do some Presidential stuff," Laura smiled as she heard her grandson laugh. "I'll see you soon, I promise. I love you."

"I love you too Grandma."

Laura handed the phone back to Billy to continue negotiating with the pilot of the Gemenon Traveller. She sat back down at the coffee table to look at the notes. "What's this?" She asked as another paper was handed to her.

"Names of the survivors that arrived on Lieutenant Valerii's Raptor," The young woman explained.

"Thankyou," Laura muttered and put it with the other lists of names, returning to the issue of finding beds. The few ships reported to have some space available were already making arrangements to take on survivors. It was beyond ridiculous. She sighed and glanced at the other piles of paperwork, stopping on the list of names. Pushing her glasses up, she picked up the paper and read down the short list…

_Sophie G. Russell, 5._

"Oh Gods…" She whispered. "Billy are the children from the Raptor still in the Cargo Bay?"

"Yes Ma'am," He glanced up at her. "Is something wrong?"

"No Billy," She grinned as she stood up. "No, everything is finally going right today."

Before he could stop her, Laura had taken off towards the Cargo Bay at a speed he didn't know she was capable of. Not that he was calling her old… He mentally told himself to stay on track as he dashed after her.

--

"Sophie?" People were watching her as she moved past them, searching frantically for her daughter. She found an older looking woman and stopped. "Have you seen a little girl with red hair and big brown eyes? She's about…" Her hand moved up and down as she tried to remember how tall Sophie was.

"The child's asleep," The old woman told her and pointed to wear a bunch of children had curled up together to take a nap.

"Thankyou so much," Laura smiled and rushed towards them. "Sophie…" She sunk to her knees next to her daughter, instantly recognising the purple overalls that her daughter hated to be removed from.

"Mommy…" Sophie murmured, tightening her hold on her teddy bear.

"Sophie, baby, wake up," Laura said softly, brushing back the mess of ginger hair. "Mommy's here, wake up for me."

She breathed in deeply and began to stretch, almost hitting Laura as her arm flayed out. "Mommy…" She yawned and opened her eyes slowly. "Are we home yet?"

"Oh baby," Laura pulled her into a hug and tried desperately to hold back her tears. "We've got to have a big talk when you're wide awake, but right now I'm just so happy you're here."

"There were big bangs…" She muttered as she yawned again. "I'm tired."

"You can come and sleep with me," Laura promised her and slowly stood up, moving Sophie to her hip. "I think you're heavier then you were last week."

"I'm a big girl," The statement usually meant she was about to argue that she didn't want to be carried, but nothing followed as Sophie lay her head against her mother's shoulder.

"Yes you are," Laura smiled and turned to find Billy catching his breath. "I need a blanket for my daughter."

"You're daughter? But…"

"This is my youngest, Sophie," Laura explained as she pressed a kiss to Sophie's head.

"Ah okay…" Billy nodded. "I'll go find that blanket for you."

"Thankyou Billy."

--

After twelve hours of continuous work, including being shuttled back and forth between Galactica and Colonial One, Laura finally collapsed into a chair next to her sleeping daughter. She reached over to gently push back Sophie's hair. As she took in her daughter's sleeping form, she smiled. Knowing her baby was alive seemed to make everything feel just a little bit better.

"Mom?"

Laura looked up to see Rebekah walking into the room. "Oh my Gods," She muttered, standing up to hug her daughter. Her hands ran through Rebekah's dark hair. "Sweetheart, I was so worried about you…"

"It's okay Mom," Rebekah said quietly, trying to reassure her mother. "I'm alright, and Isaac's alright. We're all going to be fine."

"Isaac…"

"Billy's taken him to get something to eat," She explained, sitting down with her mother slowly. "I'm afraid food outweighs seeing Grandma." Rebekah laughed as she pulled her legs up onto the chair.

"Are you okay?" Laura asked slowly.

"Mom, seriously, I'm fine…"

"But you don't have any of your equipment…"

"Back to basics," Rebekah shrugged and glanced at Sophie. "Where did you find Soph?"

"She was brought up with a few other children on a Raptor," Laura couldn't stop staring at her daughter. It was as if she was seeing Rebekah in a whole new light. The piercing blue eyes seemed to be more striking than she remembered. "The Pegasus is missing though. I spoke to the Executive Officer of Galactica and he told me it was likely Pegasus was destroyed…"

"Doesn't sound like a very positive XO," Rebekah muttered, watching her mother carefully. "Angie's going to be okay, and even if she's gone you'll know she went down fighting. But we have to believe she's alive and safe." She reached out, taking Laura's hand in her own.


	4. A Commander's Shadow

Occasionally there are things people just don't notice. For instance – if the Commander had have looked up from his notes as he walked through the corridors, he would have noticed that he was being followed. While the follower seemed to be neither dangerous nor suspicious, no one felt inclined to point it out. Instead the Officer's Bill passed simply smiled, and choked back laughter, at the sight. Bill remained oblivious, his mind elsewhere as his eyes continued to scan the same paragraph in front of him. The lack of sleep over the past couple of days was finally beginning to take its toll. He continued on to CIC, being followed all the way.

--

While some things go unnoticed, others have every intention of smacking you in the face when you least expect it. So as Bill was unaware of his predicament, Laura had just become all too conscious of hers.

"Well, well, if it isn't President Roslin."

Laura glanced up at the sound of her name, unable to stop a smile from spreading as she recognised the young woman approaching her. "Kara," She almost couldn't believe it was her. If not for the photo Rebekah had shown her a few years ago, Laura wouldn't have recognised her. "I'm so glad you're safe…"

"I think we both know that's a load of shit," Kara cut in sarcastically, rolling a cigar between her fingers. She stepped forward, only to have the security detail step in front of her.

"It's okay," Laura said quickly. "She's my niece."

"Enjoying your new position Aunt Laura?" Kara spat out her name. "Saving humanity… nice to know you'll stick around to save something."

"I don't want to fight with you…"

"Well there's no way in Hades we're going to sit down and have a nice chat," She put the cigar to her lips and took a long drag, before blowing the smoke in Laura's direction. "You can go frak yourself."

"Kara let me explain," Laura said slowly, taking a step towards her.

"I have places to be Madam President," Kara replied. "And frankly I've gotten this far without you, so stay the hell away from me." She brushed past Laura as she headed to gym.

Standing perfectly still for a moment, Laura processed what had just happened. Of course, she hadn't expected Kara to greet her with open arms but she hadn't expected her to be so bitter either. She took a deep breath, and had every intention of moving on when she heard Billy calling out to her.

"Madam President…" Billy tried to catch his breath as he came to an abrupt halt in front of her.

"Billy, what's wro…" Taking note of Billy's dishevelled appearance, and the fact that he was alone, Laura felt her blood run cold. "Where's Sophie?" She asked slowly.

"I'm not sure," Billy replied quickly.

"You're not sure?" Her tone was icy.

"She was right next to me," Billy was having trouble trying to work out what to say. "I took my eyes off her for ten seconds…"

"She's five years old Billy!" Laura finally snapped. "A five year old on a Battlestar, you don't take your eyes off her for half a second!"

"I apologise Ma'am…"

"I need people searching this ship now!"

--

It wasn't until Bill was staring at the DRADIS that he began to notice the odd atmosphere. He glanced at Saul, who was trying to cover up an amused smile. His eyes roamed CIC, noticing each Officer on duty was sneaking glances in his direction and trying not to laugh. After a moment he glanced down to his left, and discovered what was distracting everyone. It seemed a child had followed him into CIC, and was staring up at the DRADIS with everyone him. For the life of him he couldn't work out where she would have come from. "Hello," He said quietly as he crouched down next to her.

"Hi," Sophie replied, holding her teddy bear closer.

"What's your name?" Bill asked, drawing the girl's attention away from the lights.

"Sophie Grace Russell," She told him confidently, and after careful consideration she held her bear out to him. "This is Theodore Bear. We call him Teddy."

"It's very nice to meet you both," Bill smiled, making sure to shake Teddy's hand as well as Sophie's. "My name is Bill."

"You're the cam-man-deer?"

"I'm the Commander…"

"You own those ships?" She pointed up at the DRADIS, once again transfixed by the display.

"I don't own them," He replied slowly, trying to keep in mind that he had to simplify anything he said. "I just look after them."

"It's really a lot of ships," She sighed dramatically. After a moment she smiled brightly at Bill. "My Mommy thinks you're really sweet."

"Oh," Bill chuckled, and glanced up to see Saul grinning. "Where is your Mommy?"

"Don't know," Sophie shrugged. "I went for a walk."

"Well then, maybe I should take you back to her."

"No need Commander," A soft voice interrupted.

"President on deck!" Dee called, and everyone stood to attention.

"Madam President."

"Commander Adama," She smiled sweetly as she approached him. "I see you've found my daughter."

"She found me actually," He replied gruffly. "I wasn't aware you had a daughter."

"Three actually," Laura said, not exactly sure why she'd told him. Then a thought occurred to her. "One of them is stationed on the Pegasus, has there been any word?"

"I'm afraid you know as much as we do Madam President," He explained with a small shake of his head. "All I can tell you is that she's under the command of Admiral Cain, and she takes good care of her crew. We'll find them."

"Thankyou Commander," She smiled brightly. "Now, if you don't mind, it's bed time for Sophie." She held out her hand to her daughter.

"I want Bill to put me to bed," Sophie suddenly spoke up, taking a step back towards him.

"Commander Adama has more important things to do Soph," Laura said quietly, feeling a little uncomfortable with the situation. "We have to go back to Colonial One."

For a moment Sophie looked like she was going to protest, but then her shoulders sagged. "Okay," She looked up at Bill sadly and sighed. "It was nice to meet you, Sir."

"It was very nice to meet you too Sophie," Bill replied with a smile. "Madam President."

"I'm very sorry about this Commander," Laura said as she took Sophie's hand.

"Don't worry about it," He told her firmly. "She's really no trouble."

"Well," Laura wondered why she was acting like a schoolgirl around him. "I'll see you tomorrow." She tried to stop thinking about his smile. It was a miracle she didn't trip over her own feet on the way out.

"Could you kiss her ass any more?" Saul muttered quietly as he moved next to his old friend.

"Excuse me?"

"You were flirting with her," Saul chuckled, making sure to keep his voice down. "Granted she does have a fine ass, and don't try to deny noticing it."

Unable to stop himself, Bill smiled and glanced at his friend with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "She does have a nice ass," He muttered under his breath.


	5. Dream A Little Dream

_There was a soft breeze that he'd never noticed before. While everything else seemed to stop, the breeze continued. People trudged past, paying no attention to him. Not even when one of their own broke away from the procession and joined him by the gate. _

_"Hello Bill," She said softly as she sat next to him._

_"Hello Laura," He replied with a sad smile._

_While he continued to age she remained a vivacious sixteen year old, the curse of living within a memory. Her hair still hung in soft waves around her shoulders, the sunlight highlighting hints of red within the brown. In her eyes there remained that mischievous glint that warned him there was trouble ahead._

_She remained the perfect vision of his first love._

_"I thought you'd forgotten about me," She whispered against his ear, breaking through his thoughts as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. Her fingers slowly slid over his._

_"I could never forget about you," He promised. "I waited here, like I said I would…"_

_"I know," She said quietly. "You waited so long and I never showed up." Her words seemed to echo around him, reminding him of the anger he'd felt towards her._

_

* * *

__"Dance with me," The words tumbled out and together they stood. They seemed to step away from the fields and into a dance hall. People moved all around them to their own beat. "Why are you back?" He murmured, as they began to move together. _

_"You brought me here," She pointed out. "So I should be asking why."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because you fell in love with Carolanne," The dance stopped. "You forgot about me."_

_People continued to move around them, but to him the scene was a blur. He was focused solely on her, the pain in her eyes. "Never…" He whispered._

_"But you did," She replied, stepping away from him._

_"Laura…" He watched her walk away and it only took a moment before he followed her._

* * *

_He followed her through the open door, only to find himself in his bedroom. The bedroom he had shared with Carolanne for years. "What are we doing here?" He asked, reaching out to touch her._

She seemed to pull away without actually moving, an advantage of being a dream. "This is your house," It was becoming dark as she moved to the window. "That's your family."

Moving to the window he saw them. Lee and Zak playing together in the backyard, while Carolanne watched. It couldn't be right. The scene was too happy, not what Lee had led him to believe. "This is wrong, Laura," He told her quietly. "You should know its all wrong."

"Is it?"

"Yes," He frowned, unsure why she questioned him. "Look at her. She was never happy to just watch the boys play. The Carolanne I know would have a drink in her hand."

"They were happy when you were gone," That mischievous glint shone brightly as she turned back to him. "It's when you came back, that it all got shot to Hades. You'd break up the routine they had. Everything was perfect until you came home…"

"Why are you saying that?"

"She never really loved you," She whispered, brushing past him. "She loved the idea of you. She loved telling people she was married to a pilot. You were just an accessory."

* * *

_Again he found himself sitting outside the Carnival gates waiting for her. He turned, wondering where she'd gone. Without thinking he stood and walked into the Carnival. The sounds seemed louder, and the lights seemed brighter. He tried to remember the way to her tent as he weaved through the stalls and rides. He caught a glimpse of her and called out her name. _

_"Why follow me?" She asked as she turned towards him. Her voice made it seem as though she was standing right next to him, even though she was so far away,_

_"Why did you go away?" He continued towards her, and she simply walked away._

_"You got married and had a family," Her voice remained so close, almost whispering in his ear. "It's not right to dream of me when you're in bed with your wife."_

_"It's been a long time since I divorced Carolanne," He pointed out._

_"But you did love her," She stopped outside the House of Mirrors and turned, smiling at him sadly. "Some part of you still does." She disappeared into the fun house, and he followed her._

_"I love you Laura," He insisted, finding himself suddenly surrounded by his own reflection._

_"You loved me at a different time in your life," She sighed._

_He turned towards the sound of her voice, seeing five images of her staring back at him. But where was she? He started to run along the path, every now and then catching a glimpse of her dress as she turned a corner. The mirrors reflected her walking along with him, but from no obvious position. It was all too confusing. There was no possible way she could be seen everywhere._

_"I'm worried I've lost all chance of finding you again," He admitted quietly, stopping as he found himself faced with five different paths. "Tell me you made it off Caprica."_

_"I can't," She appeared all around him, tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm just a memory. I know only what you know, or what lingers in your subconscious." All the images seemed to merge into one, until she stood in the mirror before him, pressing her hand against the glass._

_"But why would you come back now?" He asked, pressing his hand up against hers. The barrier between them was cold, almost to the point of burning his skin._

_"Maybe I'm just something familiar to provide comfort in times of darkness," She offered, resting her forehead against the glass. "Or maybe you've seen me, and just haven't put two and two together yet. You have had more important things to think about."_

_"So you did make it…"_

_"You have to wake up now Bill," She told him softly, turning to walk away again._

_"No, Laura, tell me!" He demanded, banging his fist against the mirror. It shattered, falling to his feet and leaving him staring at the wooden back._

_"Seven years bad luck," Her voice echoed around him. "You have to wake up…"_

* * *

Bill's eyes snapped open and he took a moment to steady his breathing. According to his watch, it was another twenty minutes before his shift started.

Lying in his rack, he tried to conjure up the images in his dream again. His Carnival Girl was somewhere in the back of his mind, and fading fast. He tried to remember what she'd said, but none of it seemed to make sense. His mind held onto various images - the Carnival, the bedroom, the House of Mirrors, and the way her dress twirled as they'd danced.

As reality caught up to him, he gave up. She was gone again, as if she'd never reappeared in the first place. With a sigh, he pushed himself out of his rack and moved to the head. It was going to be a very long day.


End file.
